Welcome to the Dark Side, young one... :) Yes, it's a "parody of all the old-skool type AD&D games"...but it's done in a way that is more "fun to read" than "this is how you play". Typically I use HM4 as the core rules system for 1e AD&D with some 2e AD&D, and play with a primarily "serious 1e style". Then again, the rules are so dang FUN to use...and sometimes very humourous and unpredictable things happen! That's Hackmaster for ya! .. The Critical Hits tables is a great addition to it. It feels like "this is what AD&D critical's would be..." in stead of trying to use RM: AL&CL. .. Wizards had a choice: Pay stupid money to Kenzer, or let them License all "rules from previous editions of D&D". Short version: Wizards illegally used some of Kenzer & Co's art/text from their "Monty Python and the Holy Grail CCG". David Kenzer, the owner/creator of the company...actually IS a lawyer; with a focus on copyright/trademark, iirc. So WotC knew there was no way they could just "out money" him; when lawyers fees are $0 for your opposition, well, you have to win by actual Law/Evidence/Merit. ;) Anyhoo... David said, basically, "Ok, let us License all the AD&D rules and stuff from the books for X number of years. It will be a parody-style game system based on the fictional 'Hackmaster' RPG that the characters in our Knights of the Dinner Table play. You guys can have final say before a book is published in order to make sure we are complying with the parody aspect of this License. Sound good?" ... ... and WotC agreed. .. Thus, "Hackmaster, 4th Edition!" was born! (It's 4th Edition because the characters in the KotDT comic book play 3rd Edition Hackmaster) .. Still play it to this day. In fact, was JUST working on some campaign stuff last night. :)
Welcome to the Dark Side, young one...
:)
Yes, it's a "parody of all the old-skool type AD&D games"...but it's done in a way that is more "fun to read" than "this is how you play". Typically I use HM4 as the core rules system for 1e AD&D with some 2e AD&D, and play with a primarily "serious 1e style". Then again, the rules are so dang FUN to use...and sometimes very humourous and unpredictable things happen! That's Hackmaster for ya!
..
The Critical Hits tables is a great addition to it. It feels like "this is what AD&D critical's would be..." in stead of trying to use RM: AL&CL.
..
Wizards had a choice: Pay stupid money to Kenzer, or let them License all "rules from previous editions of D&D". Short version: Wizards illegally used some of Kenzer & Co's art/text from their "Monty Python and the Holy Grail CCG". David Kenzer, the owner/creator of the company...actually IS a lawyer; with a focus on copyright/trademark, iirc. So WotC knew there was no way they could just "out money" him; when lawyers fees are $0 for your opposition, well, you have to win by actual Law/Evidence/Merit. ;) Anyhoo... David said, basically, "Ok, let us License all the AD&D rules and stuff from the books for X number of years. It will be a parody-style game system based on the fictional 'Hackmaster' RPG that the characters in our Knights of the Dinner Table play. You guys can have final say before a book is published in order to make sure we are complying with the parody aspect of this License. Sound good?" ... ... and WotC agreed.
..
Thus, "Hackmaster, 4th Edition!" was born!
(It's 4th Edition because the characters in the KotDT comic book play 3rd Edition Hackmaster)
..
Still play it to this day. In fact, was JUST working on some campaign stuff last night. :)
Awesome comments, thank you!
HackMaster 4th Edition, Prince of Games.
It really is an amazing take on DnD
Check out Hackmaster 5e if you haven’t. Solid rules and they cut out the parady.
Sounds good, thank you, I'll have to check it out.
Were you able to check out the character generator software?
I don't have it.
It wasn't the greatest piece of software but it certainly helped with the overly complicated character creation process.
@@hmtkgaming6095 I can imagine so. It would have been helpful.
We tried to play this ruleset but it was far too heavy for us.
Pleasurable to read.
It's pretty chunky that's for sure.
Hackmaster is how D&D was originally played.
Not attending a Diversity and Inclusion Prom where killing Orcs and Drow is problematic